U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave thanks supporters after her win in the 2006 election. (AP Photo/John Epperson)

Former Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave once told a staffer she could probably support civil unions because it wasn’t marriage, according to a Facebook posting.

The post was written by state Rep. B.J. Nikkel, of Loveland, who served as Musgrave’s district director in the 4th Congressional District. Nikkel became a hero in the gay community this session for voting with Democrats to send a civil-unions bill out of its first committee hearing. Some conservatives consider her a traitor.

Nikkel, in taking on a Musgrave family member on Facebook, said in her post that her civil-unions vote doesn’t make her a liberal any more than Musgrave’s support of the bailout and other issues makes Musgrave a liberal.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.